Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I thank the Whips for providing additional time for this debate, which is greatly appreciated. The importance of what we are discussing must be stressed, which is the preparation for the UN convention on climate change which will take place in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December. We should all recognise that climate change is probably the most significant threat to the global environment currently facing humanity. It is being brought about for the most part as a consequence of human activity. Unless we are prepared to face up to this reality, climate change will create a very different living and working environment, especially for those less fortunate people living in the Third World. Anybody with eyes to see can read the documentation and learn that what is happening in the Third World is no accident or temporary change in climate patterns.

International concern about climate change is increasing rapidly, but action to deal with it lags far behind. I sincerely hope the Copenhagen convention will be taken seriously by all 192 countries due to participate in the event. It is hoped that a common plan can be satisfactorily concluded to prevent the world's climate being disrupted by human activity. The convention faces great challenges and will demand great leadership.

In fairness to the European Union, it made the first commitment to take action, which Ireland has bought into. As the previous speaker said, this is not a party political issue. It is one that faces all of us, irrespective of who is in Government. As chairman of the Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, I can say that it operates on an all-party basis. Any report that the committee produces has all-party agreement. If those who go to Copenhagen adopt a similar attitude, and do not try to throw their weight around, we might reach a satisfactory conclusion.

The EU was first into the field and has committed itself to a 20% reduction on 1990 carbon emission levels by 2020, or up to 30% if there is an international agreement. This contrasts with the United States, which has not yet reached agreement on the relevant legislation currently before the US Senate. Even if agreement is reached there, however, the proposal would amount, at best, to a reduction of approximately 7% below the 1990 levels by 2020. Looking at the problems facing the US, it is clear that their representatives need to cop on very quickly. They should leave aside the vested interests that are persuading many members of the Senate not to support the legislation. It is worrying that no Republican senators are prepared to back the legislation at present. It is quite frightening to see a situation where party politics are playing a major part in preventing the leaders going to Copenhagen to represent the United States from having a sound mandate from the US Senate. One can expect that the US legislation will not be passed before the end of December because they need 60 senators to vote for it from a total of 100.

When one looks at what is happening in the United States, one can see the effects of climate change, including water shortages. The governor of one US state was reported as saying that 100 million trees were dying in one region because warmer winters allowed certain insects to hatch, thus spreading disease in woodlands. That concerns one area, but it demonstrates what can happen as a result of climate change patterns.

In addition, America's national security would be enhanced through a lack of dependence on continuing oil and gas imports. These are small examples of what could happen on a larger scale if climate change is not tackled. It must be faced without people playing politics.

There is a problem between developed and developing countries in the context of the forthcoming Copenhagen conference. EU members states, including Ireland, are part of the developed countries, which have carbon reduction targets to achieve. The developing counties, however, are not expected to reach particular targets, but will qualify for assistance and will give commitments to take steps to reduce CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, the developing country category includes China. Yet China and the United States are together currently producing 40% of all greenhouse gases. On a per capita basis, however, that is still below what Ireland is producing. The developing countries caused the problem because of industrial development over the last 100 years, even though China is now catching up. If one adopts the attitude that China should not be restrained from doing something concrete about the problem, it will give rise to a tricky situation in Copenhagen. It is also part and parcel of the ongoing investment in dealing with the problem of coal being used to produce energy. A lot of investment is going into carbon capture and storage, whereby one can extract CO2 and store it. If that is successful, Ireland should also make provision for the possibility of that technology being developed to the stage where it becomes viable. It is important to commit ourselves to such targets. It is also important there is agreement at Copenhagen that the United Nations will have the authority to carry out the inspections required to see that all of us are living up to the targets we are agreeing to. Having caused the damage, all of us will have to contribute the financial help that will be required by developing countries and the Third World generally. It is expected that we will be part of a pool that will provide $140 billion for adaptation and mitigation by 2020.

This is a subject one could speak on at length. It is important that all of us here take the problem seriously. We should not be frightened about dealing with this issue. There are tremendous investment opportunities in this country if we take on board the whole issue of dealing with climate change and energy security. For example, there is the whole area of ocean energy, where we have the potential to produce sufficient energy without having to import fossil fuels. With inter-connection to Scotland, England and France, we have a tremendous export opportunity, but the ball is at our feet. We have slipped up in terms of wind energy, because Denmark is to the fore in that area. Let us not lose the opportunity to develop wave and tidal power, which is in abundance along our coastline, particularly in the west. We need to use this opportunity and not let it pass because there are jobs go leór to be had.

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